State profile · IA · Clery Act

Safest Colleges in Iowa

Federal Clery Act filings for all 75 tracked Iowa campuses, ranked by 2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students. Among nonzero reporters, Eastern Iowa Community College District currently has the lowest rate.

75
Institutions tracked
5.37
Avg campus rate / 1k (75 of 75 scored)
3.52
Statewide rate / 1k
#54
Rank by avg campus rate
208,398
Students enrolled

Among nonzero Clery reporters, Eastern Iowa Community College District has the lowest rate in Iowa

According to U.S. Department of Education Clery Act filings, across 75 tracked campuses in Iowa, 36 reported zero 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents used in the rate; among campuses with any in those categories, Eastern Iowa Community College District has the lowest rate at 0.13 per 1,000 students. This comparison excludes other Clery tables and unreported harm, so review the details before drawing a safety conclusion.

Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey

campuses tracked
75
average campus, per 1,000 (75 of 75 scored)
5.37
lowest nonzero rate - Eastern Iowa Community
0.13
campuses at zero in score categories
36

Data updated August 2026

Clery Act plate

Sheet IA · Iowa 5.37/1k campus avg · #54/59

RATE-HIGH · RANK-BOTTOM · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-MIX · WT-SMALL-HOT · BOOK-FULL · CONC-MID

  • RATE-HIGH 5.37/1k
  • RANK-BOTTOM #54/59
  • BELOW-PEER Kansas · 0.22 back
  • ZERO-MIX 48% zero
  • WT-SMALL-HOT Δ +1.85
  • BOOK-FULL 75/75
  • CONC-MID top5 51%

Nearest campus-rate peer: Kansas (+0.22/1k)

Iowa sheet RATE-HIGH · RANK-BOTTOM · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-MIX · WT-SMALL-HOT · BOOK-FULL · CONC-MID · peer Kansas. Codes from this state’s OPE Campus Safety filing: unweighted campus rate, corpus rank (low = safer), photo-finish peer state, zero-report share, campus-vs-weighted gap, scored book, top-five enrollment concentration. Not a moving recommendation.

Clery plate RATE-HIGH · RANK-BOTTOM · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-MIX · WT-SMALL-HOT · BOOK-FULL · CONC-MID. Nearest unweighted-rate peer is Kansas (+0.22/1k). Among nonzero reporters inside the state, Eastern Iowa Community College District leads at 0.13/1k. Instrument codes from this state's OPE Campus Safety sheet; compare similarly sized campuses before treating any single rate as decisive.

Iowa's unweighted average campus rate is higher than most scored U.S. states (only 8% of states report a higher average). Even so, Eastern Iowa Community College District leads nonzero reporters here at 0.13/1k, with Kirkwood Community College (0.39/1k); Hawkeye Community College (0.59/1k) next. The five largest campuses account for 51% of enrollment, weigh large-campus rates separately from small ones.

Campus-rate neighbourhood around Iowa

Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Iowa on unweighted average campus Clery rate. Full ladder: /rankings/.

per 1,000 students

What this shows Neighbourhood of scored states around Iowa's 5.37/1k unweighted campus average, not a full 50-state board reprint.

Source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey (Clery Act) As of 2024

Safest colleges in Iowa, ranked by reported rate

Ranked from the lowest 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA rate upward, counting only the 39 Iowa campuses with at least one incident in those score categories. Positions are numbered within that group, because a rank counted through the zero-score campuses below would order them by nothing.

10
Simpson CollegeIndianola · 1,251 students
Enrollment
1,251
Incidents /1k
1.60
12
Allen CollegeWaterloo · 483 students
Enrollment
483
Incidents /1k
2.07
26
Cornell CollegeMount Vernon · 1,094 students
Enrollment
1,094
Incidents /1k
4.57
27
Loras CollegeDubuque · 1,189 students
Enrollment
1,189
Incidents /1k
5.05
28
Luther CollegeDecorah · 1,384 students
Enrollment
1,384
Incidents /1k
5.06
36
Coe CollegeCedar Rapids · 1,195 students
Enrollment
1,195
Incidents /1k
10.88
#CampusEnrollmentIncidents /1k
1Eastern Iowa Community College DistrictDavenport · 7,426 students7,4260.134% of the leader · rank #1
2Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids · 12,763 students12,7630.394% of the leader · rank #2
3Hawkeye Community CollegeWaterloo · 5,120 students5,1200.594% of the leader · rank #3
4Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical CenterWest Des Moines · 1,534 students1,5340.654% of the leader · rank #4
5Western Iowa Tech Community CollegeSioux City · 5,482 students5,4820.914% of the leader · rank #5
6Dordt UniversitySioux Center · 1,952 students1,9521.024% of the leader · rank #6
7Upper Iowa UniversityFayette · 3,941 students3,9411.274% of the leader · rank #7
8Wartburg CollegeWaverly · 1,483 students1,4831.354% of the leader · rank #8
9Iowa Central Community CollegeFort Dodge · 4,949 students4,9491.414% of the leader · rank #9
10Simpson CollegeIndianola · 1,251 students1,2511.604% of the leader · rank #10
11Indian Hills Community CollegeOttumwa · 3,184 students3,1841.884% of the leader · rank #11
12Allen CollegeWaterloo · 483 students4832.074% of the leader · rank #12
13Briar Cliff UniversitySioux City · 947 students9472.114% of the leader · rank #13
14Palmer College of ChiropracticDavenport · 2,161 students2,1612.314% of the leader · rank #14
15Northwestern CollegeOrange City · 1,705 students1,7052.354% of the leader · rank #15
16Morningside UniversitySioux City · 2,056 students2,0562.434% of the leader · rank #16
17Iowa State UniversityAmes · 30,380 students30,3803.294% of the leader · rank #17
18Mercy College of Health SciencesDes Moines · 869 students8693.454% of the leader · rank #18
19Drake UniversityDes Moines · 4,345 students4,3453.684% of the leader · rank #19
20Aveda Institute-Des MoinesWest Des Moines · 244 students2444.104% of the leader · rank #20
21Clarke UniversityDubuque · 962 students9624.164% of the leader · rank #21
22Buena Vista UniversityStorm Lake · 1,890 students1,8904.234% of the leader · rank #22
23Maharishi International UniversityFairfield · 2,592 students2,5924.244% of the leader · rank #23
24Iowa Western Community CollegeCouncil Bluffs · 5,540 students5,5404.514% of the leader · rank #24
25Graceland University-LamoniLamoni · 1,102 students1,1024.544% of the leader · rank #25
26Cornell CollegeMount Vernon · 1,094 students1,0944.574% of the leader · rank #26
27Loras CollegeDubuque · 1,189 students1,1895.054% of the leader · rank #27
28Luther CollegeDecorah · 1,384 students1,3845.064% of the leader · rank #28
29University of Northern IowaCedar Falls · 9,278 students9,2786.144% of the leader · rank #29
30Saint Ambrose UniversityDavenport · 2,498 students2,4986.814% of the leader · rank #30
31Central CollegePella · 1,084 students1,0847.384% of the leader · rank #31
32William Penn UniversityOskaloosa · 1,425 students1,4257.724% of the leader · rank #32
33Waldorf UniversityForest City · 2,225 students2,2258.544% of the leader · rank #33
34Grand View UniversityDes Moines · 1,856 students1,8568.624% of the leader · rank #34
35University of IowaIowa City · 30,779 students30,7799.584% of the leader · rank #35
36Coe CollegeCedar Rapids · 1,195 students1,19510.885% of the leader · rank #36
37Grinnell CollegeGrinnell · 1,788 students1,78811.195% of the leader · rank #37
38University of DubuqueDubuque · 1,757 students1,75714.236% of the leader · rank #38
39Mercy-St Luke's School of Radiologic TechnologyCedar Rapids · 21 students21238.10100% of the leader · rank #39

Unranked campuses (36): zero score or no normalized rate

36 filed zero 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents in the score categories; other Clery tables can still contain reports. Neither group supports a safety ordering, so these campuses are listed alphabetically without positions. Showing 15 alphabetically; the remaining 21 stay out of this HTML table so large states stay crawlable.

#CampusEnrollmentIncidents /1k
American Hair AcademyMt. Pleasant · 25 students250.00
Body Wisdom Massage Therapy SchoolUrbandale · 45 students450.00
Capri College-Cedar RapidsCedar Rapids · 129 students1290.00
Capri College-DavenportDavenport · 135 students1350.00
Capri College-DubuqueDubuque · 165 students1650.00
Carlson College of Massage TherapyAnamosa · 39 students390.00
Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny · 23,697 students23,6970.00
Divine Word CollegeEpworth · 64 students640.00
Ellsworth Community CollegeIowa Falls · 685 students6850.00
Emmaus Bible CollegeDubuque · 234 students2340.00
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological SeminaryAnkeny · 611 students6110.00
Faust Institute of Cosmetology-Spirit LakeSpirit Lake · 22 students220.00
Iowa Lakes Community CollegeEstherville · 1,945 students1,9450.00
Iowa School of Beauty-Des MoinesDes Moines · 74 students740.00
Iowa School of Beauty-Sioux CitySioux City · 67 students670.00

Open any remaining campus from the school directory or the incident tool.

The largest universities in Iowa by enrollment

Enrollment leaders: University of Iowa (30,779); Iowa State University (30,380); Des Moines Area Community College (23,697), then 72 more. The 15 biggest Iowa institutions by total enrolled students, from the same federal IPEDS collection, each shown with its 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA rate. The five largest alone account for 51% of the 208,398 students enrolled across all 75 tracked Iowa institutions. Mid-pack by size sits near Coe College (1,195 students, 10.88/1k).

#InstitutionEnrollmentIncidents /1k
1University of IowaIowa City · 30,779 students30,779100% of the leader · rank #19.58
2Iowa State UniversityAmes · 30,380 students30,38099% of the leader · rank #23.29
3Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny · 23,697 students23,69777% of the leader · rank #30.00
4Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids · 12,763 students12,76341% of the leader · rank #40.39
5University of Northern IowaCedar Falls · 9,278 students9,27830% of the leader · rank #56.14
6Eastern Iowa Community College DistrictDavenport · 7,426 students7,42624% of the leader · rank #60.13
7Iowa Western Community CollegeCouncil Bluffs · 5,540 students5,54018% of the leader · rank #74.51
8Western Iowa Tech Community CollegeSioux City · 5,482 students5,48218% of the leader · rank #80.91
9Hawkeye Community CollegeWaterloo · 5,120 students5,12017% of the leader · rank #90.59
10Iowa Central Community CollegeFort Dodge · 4,949 students4,94916% of the leader · rank #101.41
11Northeast Iowa Community CollegeCalmar · 4,808 students4,80816% of the leader · rank #110.00
12Drake UniversityDes Moines · 4,345 students4,34514% of the leader · rank #123.68
13Upper Iowa UniversityFayette · 3,941 students3,94113% of the leader · rank #131.27
14Indian Hills Community CollegeOttumwa · 3,184 students3,18410% of the leader · rank #141.88
15Southeastern Community CollegeWest Burlington · 3,028 students3,02810% of the leader · rank #150.00

Enrollment is total reported students, not full-time equivalent, and a branch campus is reported separately from its parent institution. A larger campus is not a less safe one: the incident rate beside it is already per 1,000 students.

Nationwide states with similar campus scale or Clery rate

Two nationwide peer sets for Iowa: closest on tracked campus count (75 here) and closest on unweighted average 2024 Clery rate (5.37/1k here). The rate-neighbourhood and keep-peer blocks above stay geo-adjacent; these columns are cross-state ABS comparisons with deduped link sets.

Similar campus count

Nearest other states by number of tracked postsecondary institutions (≥5 scored campuses in corpus).

Similar campus Clery rate

Nearest other states by unweighted average on-campus Clery rate. Campus-count peers above are excluded.

Read with this state

Keep-peer handoff: Kansas sits nearest on unweighted campus average (+0.22/1k). Inside Iowa, open Eastern Iowa Community College District's campus sheet next.

Eastern Iowa Community College District profile → | All states → | Iowa net price → | Incident tool → | Methodology →

Iowa campus safety FAQ

What are the safest colleges in Iowa?

Among Iowa campuses that reported at least one 2024 Criminal Offense or VAWA incident in the Clery categories used here, Eastern Iowa Community College District has the lowest rate (0.13 per 1,000 students). Next among nonzero reporters: Kirkwood Community College (0.39/1k); Hawkeye Community College (0.59/1k). 36 campuses reported zero in those score categories and are listed separately without a safety ordinal, because a zero report is not the same as a proven safer campus.

How does PlainCampus rank campus safety in Iowa?

In Iowa, campuses with any 2024 Criminal Offenses or VAWA incidents in the score categories are ordered by incidents per 1,000 students - Eastern Iowa Community College District currently leads that nonzero list at 0.13/1k. Zero-report and unscored campuses stay unranked and alphabetical. See /methodology for the full rate definition.

How many colleges in Iowa are compared?

This page covers 75 tracked higher-education institutions in Iowa, serving about 208,398 enrolled students combined across 42 cities. 39 carry a ranked nonzero rate; 36 are listed without a safety ordinal. By enrollment the largest are University of Iowa (30,779); Iowa State University (30,380); Des Moines Area Community College (23,697). Nearby state averages for context: Kansas (5.58/1k); New Mexico (4.89/1k); Rhode Island (4.86/1k); Missouri (4.22/1k); Delaware (4.05/1k); Minnesota (3.73/1k).

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.